PM Condemns Loyalist Flag Violence

David Cameron has condemned the loyalists and unionists responsible for acts of violence across Northern Ireland in the wake of the union flag vote at Belfast City Hall.

He was speaking at Prime Minister’s question time in the Commons.

He said: "In no way are these people being loyal or standing up for Britishness.

"Violence is absolutely unjustified in those and in other circumstances."

Mr Cameron’s comments follow over a week of violence across Northern Ireland after Belfast City Council voted to remove the union flag from City Hall and fly it only on designated days.

Attacks and death threats have been carried on members of the Alliance Party after it proposed the move.

Nationalists had initially called for the flag’s removal completely, but agreed to vote for the Alliance Party’s compromise.

Alliance MP Naomi Long received a death threat last week, and on Monday night an unmarked police car outside her east Belfast constituency office was attacked.

A gang of masked men surrounded the car and threw a petrol bomb in to it while a police woman was still inside. The PSNI are treating the attack as attempted murder.

Mr Cameron said Ms Long had MPs' "complete solidarity" and he praised her political work amid intimidation and death threats.

Loyalists have said they will protest every night until the flag is reinstated above City Hall for 365 days a year.

(IT)